Death Comes For All of Us in Time
by Unbuckled
Summary: A garbled message comes from a remote town high in the mountains. What started as a simple recon and aid mission soon turns into a battle with the dark magic of Haggar. K/A friendly fic.
1. Chapter 1 - Peace and Quiet

They had been there for months now. Each of them had fallen into a routine. Pidge and Hunk spent their days helping the people rebuild and repair the equipment and buildings that surrounded the castle, while Lance and Sven kept themselves busy training anyone who wished to learn to fight. In the evenings Hunk helped out in the kitchens while Pidge spent his free time writing new software for the command center. The only time these routines were broken was when Yurak's fleet would attack. The people had developed a grudging respect for their saviors. It was beginning to turn into a reality.

They still couldn't move the people out of the shelters yet, but it was getting safer for small groups to begin scouring the surface for useful items. As more buildings were repaired and made structurally stable the hope of returning to the surface grew stronger. Keith spent many of his days helping with the day to day logistics of the military. It was up to him to make sure these people were safe. He worked closely with Coran and Allura in planning the planet's defenses.

Frequently the young captain could be found perched beneath his lion. This was usually where Allura would find him after the daily, long strategic meetings. It was in this spot that Allura found him on that fateful day.

The sun was shining brightly in the sky above the castle as Allura made her way to the top of the lion monument. There the young captain sat nestled in the paw of his lion. She could almost see the power radiating off of the pair. Black Lion had taken to the young leader quickly. There were stories of the bond that the pilots had with their lions. She could see that some of them were actually true.

"I thought I would find you up here." She said finally alerting him to her presence. "You seemed eager to get away from the council today."

He looked up and smiled at her. "So did you, if I remember correctly. I thought you were going to punch Maester Livit at one point."

"That man infuriates me. He's pompous and arrogant and pissed off that he actually has to work. How do you stay so – diplomatic?" She asked as she sat down across from him. She could feel the hum of power from the mighty lion as she did.

"Years of practice. Something you should start to work on. Soon you'll have to deal with other planets' politics. You would be surprised at what is considered an insult in other cultures. Lance angered an Assalian Ambassador by sneezing once."

She chuckled at the thought of the Red Lion pilot getting yelled at for sneezing. "Lady Nan keeps trying to corner me for 'Royal Lessons". Soon I'll have to stop actually avoiding them." She sighed audibly. "How do you know all of these things about other cultures? You even understand Drule."

"My family studied languages and cultures. They made it interesting to me when I was younger because I came from two drastically differing ones. My Father's family was Japanese and my mother's was British. Both had a rich heritage of their own. When I joined the academy I found that there were so many different cultures outside of Earth I never really stopped learning. I learned Drule and Arussian when I first learned of the war out here."

"Maybe I should start bothering Nan for lessons." She grimaced. "Oh I wanted to ask if we could set up an expedition to the mountain city tomorrow. There have been a few garbled transmissions from them and I was hoping we could see what they need. Yurak's last attack wasn't that long ago and I was thinking we might be able to start helping other groups."

"Let me talk to Sven and Lance, and see if Hunk can get a car from maintenance. You get Coran to give the okay and we'll go."

The soft smile she had been wearing grew into a genuine grin and she leaned forward to give Keith a quick hug before almost skipping to the exit of the pedestal. "Thank you Captain."

"Don't thank me yet. Coran still hasn't said yes."

* * *

In orbit above Arus' moon an angry Drule Captain was still licking his wounds from the last defeat when the Battlecruiser's proximity alarm sounded. A small ship was approaching the command vessel at a high rate of speed. Yurak recognized it as Haggar's personal coffin ship.

_What does that damned witch want now?_ He hissed to himself.

"Now that is no way to think about the person who has come to help you stop failing." Her cackle sounded from his doorway. Yurak had forgotten two very important things. The witch could teleport short distances and was quite capable of reading his mind.

"How do you plan on doing that? Is it another robeast? The last one worked so well." His voice dripped with sarcasm as he spoke.

"No. I need you to just get me to the surface undetected and I will hand you an easy victory. All I need is to get one of the lion pilots alone. Once they cannot form that despicable defender I will give you a robeast to deal with the others. Then your troops can finally finish what they started."

Yurak though about Hagar's plan for a moment and grinned. "This could actually work. I'll send a few ships as a distraction. Then you should be able to reach the surface undetected."

* * *

Lance was busy on patrol when Red's sensors picked up something entering the atmosphere. Sending a quick message to Control he turned the lion towards the disturbance. In the distance he could see three small fighters on an intercept course with the castle. He grinned and sped up.

"You ready for a fight kitty?" He asked as he patted the dash. The lion roared in response alerting the fighters to his position. Opening a com channel he attempted to offer them a chance to escape. The one closest to him used that moment to fire upon the lion. With a grin and a flip he easily avoided the shot and then quickly returned fire. All three ships were quickly dispatched and he began a scan to make sure he had gotten them all.

What he didn't notice was the small coffin ship landing quietly in the forest near the mountains. The witch's plan was now underway.


	2. Chapter 2 - Hidden in the Shadows

AN: _I do not own these guys. But I do enjoy writing them. Here's the next chapter._

Much to Keith's surprise, Allura successfully persuaded Coran into allowing the expedition to the mountain city of Kora. As his team gathered in the Control Room he rehashed the plan for the day. Pidge and Hunk would patrol the air in shifts while Keith, Lance, and Sven accompanied Allura to Kora. He debated bringing the lions, but felt that that would possible be too intimidating for the people that may be up there.

"Everyone ready with their assignments? Pidge and Hunk, I want someone within range of the mountains at all times. Coran will monitor Control for any anomalies."

"We got it Chief. Worry about the ground, we'll take care of the air." Hunk said with a grin as the two left for their lions. Keith turned to Lance and paused as he studied the distant, nervous, look on his Lieutenant's face.

"Is everything okay Lance?" He asked his old friend.

Lance shook himself out of his distraction and frowned. He hadn't expected Keith to pick up on his nerves, but something felt off. "I've got a bad feeling Keith. Something just seems off. "

The Captain knew well to trust Lance's gut feelings. His friend seemed almost clairvoyant at times. He glanced at Sven and nodded. "Stay alert today. I want someone with Allura at all times. We'll make sure this feeling stays just that – a feeling."

At that moment Allura entered the Control Room, Lady Nan hot on her heels yelling at her about proper dress and protocol. The entire room could see the young woman trying to bite her tongue but finally something snapped.

"I am not a child anymore! I will dictate what I wear and where I go! I really don't think an old dress is going to be practical on this trip!" She yelled at the older woman. Keith noticed she was getting ready to snap again when he finally decided it would be a good time to step in and defuse the situation.

"Lady Nan, this is more a reconnaissance mission than an actual diplomatic visit. I need Allura to move quickly in case of attack. It will be much easier to keep her safe and out of harm's way." He used the knowledge that Allura's safety was this woman's top priority to appeal to her. He could see the older woman thinking about it and then watched as the realization that her young Princess would be much safer in more maneuverable clothing dawned across her face.

"I suppose you're right Captain." She sighed, "But I hope you understand that if anything happens to my Princess it's coming out of your hide." She finished her speech with an abrupt turn and stalked out of Control. "We will discuss this decision later Coran!"

They could all see Coran's face pale slightly. Even the older man was afraid of Lady Nan. She was quite the formidable woman.

"I believe you should all leave before she comes back with more to say." Coran turned to the group with a nervous smile. "Keep her safe Captain."

"You know we will." Keith replied with a smile as he led the group to the exit and the waiting ground car.

* * *

High up in the mountains a lone figure moved toward the almost hidden city of Kora. It moved through the narrow paths like a phantom as a chill followed in its wake. There was feeling of dread that kept the wildlife far away from the phantom's path as it moved.

Haggar smiled as she realized that even the insects were afraid of her. She was humming with power as she hashed her plan out again in her head. The spies had discovered that the Princess and three of the lion pilots would be heading to this remote city by intercepting one of Kora's transmission's for help.

She grimaced at the thought of the lions. They were supposed to be gone. She had been promised that they would not return. Alfor was the last chosen one and even he couldn't fully bond with his lion. No one on Arus should have been able to.

_Only they're not from Arus._ The voice in the back of her head spoke. _They are from Earth. A planet that is still barely out of its diapers. There should not be anyone advanced enough to pilot this magic, but there is and now you must deal with it._

She hissed at the voice and moved into the outskirts of the mountain city. Using a small glamour spell to change her appearance she wandered into the city and began to mingle with the few people willing to risk being out in the daylight. Her plan was now in motion and it would only end with the life of one of the young pilots.

* * *

As Lance maneuvered the ground car into the city they all marveled at just how little damage the city actually had suffered. It had been carved into the mountain itself. Some of it reminded Keith of the pictures of the ancient city of Petra back on earth. The architecture was breathtaking and the fact it had been carved into the stone is probably what saved the city from attack.

Even Allura seemed amazed by the lack of damage to the city. She felt some hope that other places on Arus might still stand and that all of the amazing history of her world might not have been completely destroyed by the attacks that had ravaged her world. She let out the breath that she had been holding and exhaled a strong sigh of relief as Lance approached what used to be the city hall.

As they exited the vehicle a sharp voice called from inside the building. "Friend or foe?" The voice demanded.

"I am Allura DiAltair. These young men are three of the pilots of Voltron. We heard your transmission and came to see what aid we could offer." Allura announced.

Murmuring could be heard in the building after Allura's introduction. Keith motioned to Sven and Lance to be alert for anything. They all kept one hand on their blasters as the building's front door opened and a small man stepped outside.

"Your Highness." He bowed deeply. "It makes me pleased to know the Royal Family survived the invasion. I am Mayor Kormen of Kora. Please come inside and meet the rest of the town council."

She smiled warily and nodded. Something seemed off but she wasn't sure what it was yet. She could feel Keith take up position to her right as Sven and Lance followed behind them. The mousey man that introduced himself as the Mayor seemed on edge also. She was determined to find out what that was.

As they entered the building they were amazed at how many people were hiding up here. It seemed that Kora had survived relatively intact. There were families in the large conference room that seemed to be holding a pot luck lunch as children ran around each other and played games under the strict watch of the adults. Allura could see that everyone's attention seemed focused on their arrival. Many of the stares had turned toward Keith and Sven. Black hair was a rare occurrence on Arus. Two men in the same room with hair that dark were even more unusual.

Noticing the attention Keith turned to Sven and Lance and spoke in hushed tones. He sent them off to talk to the townspeople. Keith was beginning to pick up on Lance's feeling of wrongness but they needed to keep up appearances. His Lieutenants could mingle with the people while he and Allura dealt with the leaders.

The mayor led them through the public areas to an area in the back of the building. Waiting for them was a group of ten men and women. As they motioned for Keith and Allura to take a seat Keith noticed a shadow slip from the room. He only hoped that Lance and Sven would pick up on it if it came their way.


End file.
